Indie Art duo Alien Knife Fight may be best known for their punk tinged blues styling, and front-woman Monique Ortiz for her mastery of the bass guitar in all forms, but the intensely creative Texas pair’s aesthetics transcend both medium and genres, as is showcased in their newest music video for “Clocks”. The video, filmed entirely on an iPhone with artistic direction and editing by the couple themselves, was actually created as a vehicle for an earlier track of Ortiz under her previous project, Bourbon Princess, off of debut album Stopline. The original 1999 recording, paired with striking visuals, caught the attention of elite taste making site mxdwn, who enthusiastically premiered the video.

“The video, like many other productions from the band, was made in a completely do-it-yourself fashion on a cell phone. Despite the low-budget techniques used in making the video, the visuals are a stunning accompaniment to this slow, downtempo electronic track.” – Matt Matasci – mxdwn

“I always wanted to do a video for this song, and others in my back catalog, but never had the necessary technology or means until now. This is a song I’ve continued to perform over the years, in a variety of projects, and we’ll be resurrecting this and a few other Bourbon Princess songs for Alien Knife Fight’s next live set. Better late than never.” – Monique Ortiz

Duo to Hit The Road With Scott H Biram and Jesse Dayton For West Coast Tour

Indie Rock’s Best Kept Secret Alien Knife Fight, comprised of vocalist/bassist Monique Ortiz and drummer Michael Howard, are gearing up to join fellow Texans Scott H Biram and Jesse Dayton on a West Coast run, and are preparing fans with the release of an elegant, lo-fi music video for their newest single, “Flightplan.” First featured on Paste Magazine, while simultaneously racking up plays on Facebook, “Flightplan” is a compelling, Gospel-like aria, with scenes of Monique’s captivating performance style and dreamy imagery laid over for a perfect visualization of the song’s subversive narrative.

“‘Flightplan’ is really about how much of my creative life has been a very steep uphill climb. In many ways it’s my ‘fuck you’ to everyone who has written me off, been dismissive of me and my work, and for all those who have and continue to ignore me altogether (“too bad you’re late to the party”). Since childhood I’ve always been kind of an outsider, never really fitting in, never quite cool enough, never invited to the parties. I was the one girl who worked at the rock club and could never get a gig there, while all my shoe gaze, noise band coworkers gigged regularly. That sort of thing. I was always a bit awkward and nerdy. At some point in my teens I just kinda said ‘screw it. I’ll just do what I want to do, and if no one ever gets it, fine because I don’t need anyone’s approval.’ It’s probably the closest thing I’ve come to writing about female empowerment. Now I’ve taken flight, and I’m leaving all the naysayers behind.” – Monique Ortiz

Based in the small, dusty junction town of Creedmoor, Texas (population 202) the creative duo Known as Alien Knife Fight craft their sound at all hours in their big, old 1930’s era house/home studio, situated on 3.6 acres that they call Big Bottom Farm.

Bassist/vocalist Monique Ortiz has been performing in duos for over 25 years mainly out of necessity. “I just couldn’t find that third instrument that was the right fit, so rather than be hindered by that, I try to fill out the sound in other ways.”

Her first notable duo project, Bourbon Princess (1997), led to over a decade of collaboration and with members of the band Morphine, which ultimately led up to the formation of A.K.A.C.O.D., with Morphine saxophonist Dana Colley and Binary system drummer Larry Dersch.

In 2010 Monique moved from Boston to Austin, met multi-instrumentalist Michael Howard and they started writing and recording music together. With Mike’s primal beats and Monique’s powerful vocals and growling 2-string slide bass and fretless bass playing, the two gradually shaped their sound into something sinister, sexy, soulful and groovy all at once.

Currently AKF are working on a new record. In March of 2017 they will be touring the west coast in support of Scott H Biram.

Some Girls EP Out NOW!

Texas based Indie Rock duo Alien Knife Fight, who released their 5 track EP Some Girls released on 1/1/2017, has announced dates for their upcoming West Coast tour with Scott H Biram and Jesse Dayton. Kicking off March 24 at the Triple Nickle Tavern in Colorado Springs, CO before winding through Utah, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and California, finally wrapping up at Fitzgerald’s in Houston, TX on April 14.

Based in the small, dusty junction town of Creedmoor, Texas (population 202) the creative duo Known as Alien Knife Fight craft their sound at all hours in their big, old 1930’s era house/home studio, situated on 3.6 acres that they call Big Bottom Farm.

Bassist/vocalist Monique Ortiz has been performing in duos for over 25 years mainly out of necessity. “I just couldn’t find that third instrument that was the right fit, so rather than be hindered by that, I try to fill out the sound in other ways.”

Her first notable duo project, Bourbon Princess (1997), led to over a decade of collaboration and with members of the band Morphine, which ultimately led up to the formation of A.K.A.C.O.D., with Morphine saxophonist Dana Colley and Binary system drummer Larry Dersch.

In 2010 Monique moved from Boston to Austin, met multi-instrumentalist Michael Howard and they started writing and recording music together. With Mike’s primal beats and Monique’s powerful vocals and growling 2-string slide bass and fretless bass playing, the two gradually shaped their sound into something sinister, sexy, soulful and groovy all at once.

Currently AKF are working on a new record. In March of 2017 they will be touring the west coast in support of Scott H Biram.